Overview & Reviews

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf.

User Reviews:

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  What did I get myself into - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Innocent1 - March 23 - 9:33 am

  I have always wanted to own a Max so I bought one. The first issue was the grille started to peel. The rims bent. The tires have to be balanced more often that 6k miles. It drives well though, I cant complain. It has excellent take off. The fuel economy is horrible!

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  The Car to Drive - 2000 Nissan Maxima
  By maxgle33 - March 19 - 10:00 am

  This Max is my third, and they keep getting better. Ive yet to have a problem with the car, and driving in Dallas, Im thrilled with the acceleration in traffic and the quick cool down of the A/C. The only maintenance has been routine - its the best value for the money.

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  Just cant get rid of it! - 1996 Nissan Sentra
  By D Kurtz - March 19 - 10:00 am

  Purchased this car with my parents help when I turned 16. Then it was a fairly inexpensive, economical car. Not much has changed. I just hit 100k miles. Only problems have been replacing an O2 sensor at about 30,000 miles, routine brake work, and rust starting to eat away at my door jams (I drive on salty roads about 5 months a year though.) I have been looking for an excuse to go out and get a bigger and better car, but I just cant find a reason good enough. This car has been worth far more than I paid for it. Not the coolest car on the market, but definitely a good buy.

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  Car drives great - 2004 Nissan Maxima
  By Alden - March 19 - 10:00 am

  car drives great, the manual tranny and clutch feels great .. wonderful.. just like my 93 SE 5spd, steering response is wonderful power is definite.

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  The car wed like to love ! - 2013 Nissan Rogue
  By ricbrk - March 19 - 3:38 am

  We purchased the Rouge new. It was a attractive, solid car, nice to drive. But, first, the paint chips and scratches to easy. Navigation is dangerously inaccurate. We use our Garmin. After dealer changed oil at 3,500 miles, we noticed the engine getting loud on any load being put on it, passing, climbing grade etc.. Drowns out radio. New, mpg was 25.4 consistently. Now 23 and falling. We feel it is because of engine loudness issue. Interior is wonderful. Radio a little disappointing for a Bose. It now has 5,000 miles, and a dealer claims engine noise is normal ? If this car would have remained as we drove it off the lot, wed love it. Unfortunately, its in a downhill spiral.

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  I love this SUV - 2000 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Dan - March 19 - 12:36 am

  The 2000 Pathfinder LE is a fantastic SUV! I would tell anyone to get one. No SUV has really great fuel economy, but the Pathfinder really isnt bad at all. We bought it new in 2000 and have put close to 84,000 miles on it with NO PROBLEMS! All we have done is change breaks, tires, oil... standard stuff. Living in PA we have to deal with snow a lot and this SUV is amazing with the 4WD, it WILL make it through just about anything you can throw at it! The SUV also has a wider wheel base and a lower profile than most other SUVs which keeps it from tipping over. If you can find a used 2000 Pathfinder LE then BUY IT! This car will not let you down.

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  Best vehicle Ive ever had - 1997 Nissan Pathfinder
  By Gary - March 18 - 8:20 pm

  When the recession hit, I could no longer make monthly car payments so I saved up some money and bought my used 97 pathfinder with cash. I researched and found this is one of the best SUVs for reliability. I replaced all belts, hoses, water pump,timing belt and bought 4 new tires. I recently drove this on a 3000 mile trip and it did wonderful. I love this truck despite that it does get thirsty. This vehicle will run for another 100,000 easily. Love it.

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  2011 Juke - 4 months later - 2011 Nissan Juke
  By uwe2 - March 18 - 4:27 am

  Now that I drove my Juke for almost 4 months, I wanted to share an updated review. I still like the car a lot - a lot of bang for the buck, no doubt about it (see favorite features). However, I dont know what Nissan was smoking when they averaged the car at 25-27 MPG - driving a mix of highway and city, and not pushing it, I get 20.4 MPG. Had a rattling noise from under the hood, which turned out to be a loose screw - dealer fixed it for free. I still belief the car is lacking some 30 or so horses. Hope aftermarket parts will be available sometime soon to address that (and maybe improve gas mileage in the process).

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  ok - 2003 Nissan Pathfinder
  By roco - March 17 - 5:00 pm

  very rough suspension...almost like driving a sports car...good acceleration but poor suspension...very bumpy.

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  Second Maxima - 2009 Nissan Maxima
  By bobbyp - March 16 - 9:33 pm

  I owned a loaded 2003 Maxima SE and liked the car very much. When it hit 100k, I decided it was time to replace it (that is normally my practice). I drove the Hyundai Genesis, but found it more of a luxury car, rather than sport sedan. I also drove the Infiniti G35 and loved the way it drove but found the back seat a little smallish compared to the Maxima and had trouble getting past the $35k price ($40k sticker). The new Maxima rides and drives very nicely, but front wheel drive definitely removes it from a true sports car driving experience. I am also very disappointed that the SV does not include satelite radio in the Bose system.